Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries, and in concert with the epidemic of obesity and diabetes, is rapidly becoming the leading cause of death in developing countries. The genetic predilection of CAD is well-established; family history has been shown to be an independent risk factor for CAD, especially in early onset forms. Despite this, the genetic architecture of CAD remains largely unknown.
Many accepted risk factors for CAD are metabolic. However, there remains an incomplete mechanistic understanding of CAD risk, and equally important, a need to refine our ability to identify individuals at highest risk of cardiovascular events. Given the complex nature of CAD, evaluation with more comprehensive tools may improve risk stratification and enhance our understanding of the disease process.